Statistically speaking, these might change ten times over as the rest of the story takes form. Chapter OneĪt some point in your writing project you will tackle the opening pages. If you can’t find joy in your story right now, seek solace in other worlds. I always listen to music to pull out the emotions to drive the piece.”Īnd all the while, read! Your love of reading drives you to write. “Be part of the writing community (and) go to writing events. Sam likes to engage with the wider writing community and other art forms to keep her going: Explore how artists, musicians, filmmakers tell stories. Feed your imagination during fallow periods. Many writers argue that there’s no such thing as writers’ block, only periods in which your work asks to be left alone. There are other ways to inspire and engage with your story. There will be times when you lose the thread and your writing wavers. That’s 3 – 6 months’ work, that’s a very, very energetic and satisfying way to manifest a first draft.” Do other things If that’s too much, then go for 500 a day for 180 days. Think about it, that’s 1,000 words a day for 90 days. Accept that things change but be firm with yourself. Once you have a plan for feasible, regular writing time, set yourself a few targets. “I don’t write everyday as I find that counter-intuitive, and for me quality counts way more than quantity.” Does it feel productive? If not, how can you change your writing habits to serve you better? Escalator alumni Sam Hacking has come to understand how she writes best: However you write, you should have an instinct about whether this is helping you or not. Maybe you write in great insomniac stretches, not dressing for days, and then step away for a fortnight. Maybe you sandwich writing time between split-shifts in the staffroom, or in the hour before the school run. You’ll know if you’re a five-am writer, a midnight oil-burner, a scrap-paper hoarder. Good writing advice is only good writing advice if it works for you.
#Story planner for writers online free how to
Here are some thoughts on ways to begin, and, crucially, how to keep going.
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You may cut chapters, meet dead-ends or discard whole drafts. Every word you write, whether it makes it into the next draft or not, will form the basis of your voice as a writer. You might write a hundred words of rubbish to start with, but in writing those hundred words you’re asking yourself why? Why has this happened? Why does your character feel like this? Why now? Why is it important? You’re learning how best to tell your story and understand your characters, discovering what you do and do not enjoy. Each word you write is micro-practice for the bigger project, so nothing is wasted. Place your character(s) in a scene and make something happen to them. Monique Roffey, Orange Prize-shortlisted author of The White Woman on the Green Bicycle I just don’t buy that writing is so painful or even should be. Most writers will tell you that it’s important to find some pleasure in what you’re writing, so, to quote tidying guru Maria Kondo, start at the place that sparks joy. When it gets hard, back off for a bit, then come back to it.”Īnjali Joseph, Winner of Desmond Elliott Prize 2011. The beginning of your story isn’t necessarily where you’ll start your project, either, as Anjali Joseph observes:
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Is your approach helpful? How might intricate planning affect you in ten, fifty, a hundred pages time? What might three months’ of unplanned writing look like? For every writer who designs their narrative arc in a spreadsheet, there is one who begins with only the gauzy end-point in mind. Every writer approaches their story in a different way. You might live with the story folded inside you for weeks, months, years even, before committing anything to the page. You might meet a character in a dream, or get the idea reading a newspaper. Writer Laura Stimson her thoughts on getting started and talks with authors and agents about taking those first steps.Īlthough most writing advice steers you toward knowing your characters, planning your story and understanding the themes before you begin, in reality, starting a new writing project can be more nuanced.
#Story planner for writers online free free
This is part of our Beginnings pack of free writing resources.